The end was just the beginning
by Stella296
Summary: Set after the movie. One-shot.


A/N: I went to the movies today to watch this film. I saw the trailer a while a week or so ago in the TV ads and I had never heard of Maleficent as in the a dark fairy before. Of course I knew the fairytale – that's one of the good things about living in Germany. The fairytales of the Brothers Grimm are all around us in all kind of versions. But the figure Maleficent is an American creation that came sometime in the 20th century. So I just had to see this movie and this addition to the fairytale I knew so well from my childhood days.

And what can I say? Brilliant story, perfect actors to fit the roles and very good animation already made me love this movie after seeing it one time.

That inspired me to write this little one-shot and I hope you enjoy reading it and leave me a review. That'd be really great and I'd appreciate it.

Now that she had her wings back, the crown of both kingdoms, the human one and the moors was placed on Aurora's head, she felt like everything had finally fall into place.

The moment she saw Stefan lying lifeless on the ground, she wondered for a moment why the sight didn't hurt her more. She thought that she might still love him, despite everything that had happened in the past. Her heart had fooled her twice before after all. But she wasn't heartbroken or too sad to survive. She had bid him the last goodbye before she left the castle along with Diaval who was still a dragon and carried Aurora on his back as they flew back from the castle that night.

Maleficent decided that it would be better for things to settle first before Aurora could claim her rightful place as the Queen of her kingdom.

"Your heart never really turned into stone, neither were you ever cruel." Diaval told her when they landed on her tree. She'd changed him into a human again because, although he complained a lot, he actually enjoyed being able to speak and walking around in a human body every now and then. In times like this moment for example.

Maleficent chuckled and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Diaval." She avoided his gaze.

"It's the truth." He told her more serious, taking her left hand with both hands. She turned her face towards him and they shared a moment trying to read the other's mind.

"Listen, Diaval, I know I asked a lot of you these past years…" Maleficent started sadly, expecting another goodbye now that she had her wings back and didn't need Diaval to fly around for her.

"I could have left you. But I didn't." Diaval spat back, causing Maleficent to frown. He seemed to be offened but why?

"Just because I saved your life, you don't have to spend it with me if you wish to leave." She told him calmly, guessing that this was his reasoning.

"I never said that and it's not what I meant either." Diaval explained to her with a roll of his eyes.

"So what did you mean?"

"Despite all the complaints, my existence got a reason when we first met and you gave me a task." He assured her before placing her hand gently back on the tree between them, where it had been before.

"If I hadn't sent you to spy on the human kingdom, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened. The curse, Aurora living with those three incompetent little fairies..." her voice became very low "…Stefan might still be alive."

"His greed killed him. Not you. I mean, he spent his life becoming a regent. When he was, he spent his time saving that position. And then, after he hurt the person he loved to get what he wants, he spent the rest of the time chasing you down to kill you. He lived his life for all the wrong reasons and that's not your fault." Diaval told her sternly.

Maleficent nodded and watched as Aurora and her prince rode from the moors towards the castle. She would rein both kingdoms but live most of the time among the humans, the moors were the world she would escape to whenever she could.

"You know, Diaval, you have quite a clever wit for a raven." Maleficent joked.

"I try." Diaval shrugged. "Now if you don't mind, change me back, so I can check on the two lovebirds making their way back to the castle."

"You do that." She agreed and did her magic.

She had loved him, she had loathed him, she had lost him – the man she'd loved. But she was stronger now than she'd been before his betrayal and she'd find her way back to being the protector of the moors and to the nice, protective and kind person she'd been as a child before a certain boy had showed up in her kingdom. She would remember him the way he was then. The happy times and forget about the rest, bit by bit, because life was too short to be unhappy like they had been.

A/N: Please let me know if you liked it.


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